LAGAVULIN DISTILLERY • TOUR TIMES (by appointment only)
Guided tours Monday to Friday • 09:30, 11:15 and 14:30
Open all year round • Closed between Christmas and New Year.
Adult admission charge including discount voucher, redeemable in the distillery shop towards a 70cl bottle of single malt whisky • Children under eight years not admitted to the production areas
Tel: 01496 302730 to book your tour or Fax: 01496 302733 • e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NO PICTURES ALLOWED INSIDE the distillery.. so we are unable to supply you with detailed information and unique photos.. Sorry but.. Lagavulin onsite visit ...x. Low AWA score

Founded :

Est. 1816

Owner :

Diageo (Old: United Distillers)

Producer :

White Horse Distillers Ltd.

Water :

Solan Hill's lake.

Remark :

Some of Lagavulin scotch whisky are stored on main-land and at Caol-ila warehouses...

(A Classic Malts of Scotland) - Also used to "White Horse" blends.
A 16 year old distinctive and powerful Islay malt. It is deeply smoky and peaty with a velvety, complex finish.
From the book : Malt Whisky - A contemporary Guide - By Mr. Graham Moore :
In the twelfth century, Islay became the domain of the Lords of the Isles and saw the foundation of the clan Macdonald. The clan seat, Dunyvaig Castle, stands sentinel over Lagavulin Bay and it was from here in 1314 that over 1.000 Islay warriors embarked to fight for Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn.
By the mid-eighteenth century illicit distilling was well established on Islay. Farmers saw it as a useful sideline and for some, such as crofters and fishermen, it was the only living available when winter came. By the 1740 there were ten stills on Lagavulin Bay. These gave way to two fully fledged distilleries which had combined by 1837 to form the basis of the Lagavulin that the visitor sees today. The name comes from the Gaelic - Lag A' Mhuilin - , meaning 'mill in the hollow'.
Its history is inextricably entwined with that of its near neighbour Laphroaig and on occasions the fivalry has been far from friendly, resulting in more that one court case. Lagavulin was jointly owned by the Graham family and James Logan Mackie & Co, a partner in which was Peter Mackie who went on to build the Craigellachie Distillery and establish the White Horse brand. As an experiment Mackie set up the Malt Mill Distillery in 1908 within Lagavulin itself, and aim being to recreate old traditional working methods. The kiln had a haircloth floor and was heated by open chauffers fired entirely with peat. Malt Mill had its own washbacks but shared Lagavulin's mash tun, and heather was added to the mash (Mackie believed this to be the original practice). The two pear-shaped stills were the same as those at Laphroaig. Mackie even poached Laphroaig's brewer to work on his new venture. However, if he was secretly trying to duplicate Laphroaig's product (Lagavulin lost the agency for Laphroaig in 1907) the experiment was a failure. Mackie's family line ended in 1917 when his son James was killed outside Jerusalem, but Malt Mill survived until 1962, its maltings now converted into Lagavulin's visitor centre.
In 1924 the company commissioned a small coaster to transport barley, coal and empty casks from Glasgow to Lagavulin and deliver the whisky to the mainland. The SS Pibroch (a pibroch is a phrasem usually a lament, played on the bagpipes) remained in service for almost 30 years and also served Caol Ila and Talisker distilleries. On two separate occasions in 1937 the little puffer was called upon to rescue crewmen from Fleetwood trawlers which had run aground, earning her the nickname 'the Fleetwood lifeboat'.
Inset into a wall of the distillery building is a gravestone. It was intended as a headstone for the grave of a local man, buried on the nearby island of Texa. The stone never mad it to the island however, as when it was being loaded onto the boat a chain snapped, and the superstitious boatman took this as an omen and refused to make the crossing. The distillery has remained a memorial to him ever since.
Lagavulin is virtually a statement of the Islay character and many factors are held to be influential on the spirit, from the larch washbacks to the particularly steep angle of the lyne arms atop the still. Peter Mackie attributed its flavour to the burns which supply the distillery's water and which fall over almost 100 waterfalls on their way down the peat-covered slopes of Beinn Sholum. It is pungent and assertive and, at 16 years old, quite a good age for a standard bottling. Time, as it says on the label, takes out the fire but leaves in the warmth.

Bells : The merchants and blending company which ultimately became Arthur Bell & Sons in Perth in 1825.Bell himself joined the firm in the 1840s as a traveller and became a partner in 1851.The 'Extra Special' name, accompanied by Bell's signature, was registered as a trade mark in 1895.Large scale expansion came in the 1930s after the ending of acquired three of the company's subsequent complement of five distilleries.Bell's is now owned by United Distillers who relaunched Bell's Extra Special as an 8 years old blend in 1994.

Readers comments / questions :Hi, My name is Carl and I am trying to find information about a bottle of scotch brought out by the House of Bells to celebrate the wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles. It is ceramic and wax sealed, it is a creamy coloured bottle in a bell type shape, it also has a picture of Charles and Di in thier finery.Any info {collector value } would be of great value, thank you.Carl.E-mail : "Sergio Infanti" This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Dimple / The Pinch / Haig's Dimple :

It's still bottled by United Distillers (or UDV as they've become known), but they may have dropped the reference to Haig and Haig on the label. Pinch is known as The Dimple everywhere except in USA.

Here's some commercial stuff from United Distillers.:The story of Pinch, the fourth largest blended Deluxe Scotch whisky in the world, is reflected in the spirit of over 350 years' of whisky distilling and blending experience. When farmer/distiller Robert Haig was summoned before the church elders in 1655 for operating his still on the Sabbath (Sunday), this marked the earliest documented reference to a distillery company still operating today.The art and craft of whisky distilling were passed down through generations of the Haig family dynasty, and Robert's descendants operated distilleries in Scotland, England and Ireland. One of them, John Haig, opened a distillery in 1824 at Cameronbridge in the fertile and historical Kingdom of Fife, which lies across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. Around 1870, his son John was the first Haig to use the newly developed practice of blending. The deep understanding of product and their long tradition of whisky making was realized, to perfection, in the early 1890s with the creation of Pinch.This deluxe blend of exceptional distinction is found in the world's most exclusive bars and elegant homes, enjoyed by those who appreciate rare quality. Pinch is the perfect international companion when friends meet in smart surroundings. In recognition of the consistent high quality of Pinch, the whisky was awarded a gold medal in 1987 in the Deluxe blended whisky category of the International Wine and Spirit competition.Pinch is distinguished even further by its famous triangular, dimpled bottle wrapped in wire net. (The blend is known as The Dimple in markets outside the United States.)The whisky has been bottled in this attractive container since its creation, with the hand-applied wire mesh originally designed to prevent the cork from coming out during export shipments through rough seas. The Pinch 'decanter,' after the precious contents have been enjoyed, has been put to decorative use around the world. To protect its exclusive use, the Pinch bottle was the first bottle to be patented in the United States, in 1958.It is a fitting and unique container for a whisky that has no equals.

BALLANTINE's

Blended & bottled by George Ballantine & Son LimitedDistillers Dumbarton ScotlandThe plant is not suitable for visitors.http://www.ballantines.com

Founded :

? Bought in 1936 by Hiram Walker.The heritage of Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky can be traced back to 1827, when farmer’s son George Ballantine set up a small store in Edinburgh

Owner :

Allied Walker Distributors Ltd.

Producer :

Allied Distillers, Dumbarton, Dumbartonshire.

Water :

Unknown

Remark :

Ballantine's :

Ballantine's is the leading super-premium scotch in the world.

From the book 'The Scottish Collection' - classic malts by Carol P. Shaw :Ballantine's was bought in 1936 by Hiram Walker as one of their first moves into the Scotch whisky market. Glenburgie end Miltonduff distilleries followed in 1937 and their new, giant complex in Dumbarton, featuring grain and malt distilleries, was operational the following year. Today the group is owned by Allied Domecq and operated by their wholly Scottish-based subsidiary, Allied Distillers. The Dumbarton plant is renowned locally for its 'Scotchwatch' alarm system, comprising 100-odd noisy Chinse geese!

From the Ballantines.com website :The heritage of Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky can be traced back to the year 1827, when farmer’s son George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh. From there he began to supply a select range of whiskies to a distinguished clientele. In 1865 George delegated the running of the Edinburgh store to his eldest son, Archibald, while he opened a larger establishment in Glasgow. Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, catering for discerning clients including the British Royal Family. He also began to create and perfect his own blends. These inspired additional demand and to build on this success he bought his second son, George junior, into the business. Trading now as George Ballantine and Son Ltd, he added a bonded warehouse to his growing empire and became and exporter of Scotch whisky. He retired in 1881 with George junior taking command, and when he died 10 years later at the age of 82, many tributes were given of his achievements. The business continued to thrive under George junior. The Ballantine’s family finally capitalised on their success in 1919, accepting a buy-out offer from the respected firm of Barclay and McKinlay. Retaining the reputation and goodwill of the former company name, the new owners began the development of Ballantine’s as a brand name for the excellent blends they had inherited. But increasingly substantial resources were needed to compete fully in the growing world market. These were provided in 1937 by Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts, a major Canadian distilling concern with an impressive international business when they aquired the share capital of George Ballantine and Son. One of the new owner’s first actions was to purchase a distillery at Miltonduff, near Elgin in the heart of Speyside, and licence it to Ballantine’s. It was in 1937 that the company received its Grant of Heraldic Arms, recognised George Ballantine & Son as an "incorporation noble on the Noblesse of Scotland". The heraldic arms that decorate the Grant appear on every bottle of Ballantine's Scotch whisky to this date. Developments since then have seen Ballantine's established as a major global brand and the best selling Scotch whisky in Europe. The range of four distinct products are Ballantine's Finest (from 1920's when Finest was sold as 10YO), Gold Seal 12 Year Old (introduced in 1988/90), 17 Year Old and 30 Year Old (introduced early/mid 1930's). Extensive maturation warehousing was developed at Dumbuck near Dumbarton, and Willowyard near Beith in Ayrshire. And, in 1977, a few miles from Dumbarton, home of the company's headquarters, Europe's most advanced blending and bottling plant was opened at Kilmalid. Finally, in 1988, the Company became part of the global conglomerate now called Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine.

Johnnie Walker scotch whisky :

The Johnnie Walker distillery has been owned and managed by an independent family company for five generations This has ensured that the Johnnie Walker distillery is still dedicated to the traditions, care and craftsmanship of malt whisky making. Nowhere else will you find a distillery that still grows its own barley, that still malts in its own traditional floor maltings, that still coopers to tend the barrels, and coppersmiths to tend the stills. The Johnnie Walker range of single malt whiskies is unique. Three single malt whiskies of different age and different character. Each Johnnie Walker single malt reflects in its individuality, different aspects of the tradition, skill and care that are the hallmarks of the Johnnie Walker Distillery. A distillery firmly rooted in its past but forever seeking to refine the art of making malt whisky.

The Scotch Whisky Book by Mark Skipworth- - -In, 1820, John Walker bought a grocery, wine and spirit business in Kilmarnock. But it was his son Alexander who joined him in 1856, who was really responsible for laying the foundations of the company's success in the 20th century.He exploited Kilmarnock as a centre for carpets and textiles, spreading the name of the family's whisky through the salesmen who came to the town.And he made use of the merchant venturers system to get the whisky sold abroad.Alexander went to England and in 1880 opened an office in London. The timing couldn't have been better for the dearth of French cognac ensured a ready market for Scotch whisky.In those days, Walker's Whisky was known simply as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky.In 1890 Alexander Walker opened an office in Sydney Australia, and in 1897 agents were appointed in South africa and an office opened in Birmingham.It was not until 1908, near 20 years after Alexander's death, that the brand name 'Johnnie Walker' began to be used.-Overseas market ware reached through the 'merchant venturer' system whereby got were entrusted to the captain of the ship who would sell them on commission at the best price he could get. The system was favoured by the Johnny Company and by this relatively simple means, Johnnie Walker became known throughout the world.In 1917 the grain distillers of Distillers Company Ltd, were able to carry on (After the first world war.) , though, producing industrial alcohol for the war effort.After the war, many of the weakened independents agreed to amalgamate with Distillers Company Ltd.The interwar years also saw that company amalgamate with major blending firms.Master-minded by William Ross, managing director and later chairman of Distillers, Buchanan-Dewar (Who already joined forces), John Waler, White Horse Distillers and lager, William Sanderson came into the company.Haig, the fifth member of the Big Five, was one of the founders of Distillers.- It was at the beginning of the twentieth century that Tom Browne designed the striding Johnnie Walker figure, Lord Stevenson coined the phrase ' Johnnie Walker, born 1820-still going strong' and the name Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky dropped in favour of the red and black slanted labels.-Johnnie Walker Red label is the world's largest selling Scotch Whisky.Johnnie Walker Black label is the world's best selling de luxe whisky.

Here's one from the movie "A beautiful Mind"

(Roommate having a big time hang over.)Officer i saw the driver of the car that hit me.His name is Johnnie Walker.